IDOT OKs closing Route 38 for Corn Fest

Published: Saturday, March 2, 2013 5:30 a.m. CDT

By Daily Chronicle

DeKALB – Corn Fest organizers have cleared their last hurdle to moving the festival back to downtown DeKalb.

They received notice Friday that Illinois Department of Transportation officials agreed to close Route 38 for the festival during Labor Day weekend, Corn Fest chairwoman Lisa Angel said. Lincoln Highway will be closed between First and Fourth streets from 3 p.m. Aug. 29 to 9 p.m. Sept. 1.

Angel said she and other organizers were thrilled.

“We would like to thank the city of DeKalb for their help to make this relocation a success,” Angel said. “We would also like to extend our sincere gratitude to [Airport Manager] Tom Cleveland and all the tenants at DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport who not only allowed us to hold the fest at their airport but helped in any way possible to make it a success.”

Angel works for Shaw Media, which publishes the Daily Chronicle.

Corn Fest was held in downtown DeKalb for 30 years until the organizers moved it to DeKalb Taylor Municipal Airport in 2008. At that time, the city was renovating downtown. On Feb. 1, festival organizers announced they wanted to move it back downtown.

The festival also was held near move-in day for Northern Illinois University students, but organizers want to push it back this year to Labor Day weekend.

City officials wanted the change so they didn’t have to juggle resources between the festival and move-in day.